Economy - Abia ThinkTank News

Nov

2025

EFCC Declares Ex-Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva Wanted

EFCC Declares Ex-Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva Wanted The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Timipre Sylva, former Governor of Bayelsa State wanted for fraud. Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources was wanted over an alleged $14.8 million fraud. The EFCC said the former Governor is wanted in connection with an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a refinery. The announcement follows a November 6, 2025, warrant issued by the Lagos State…

Nov

2025

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By Abia ThinkTank

FGN Exceeds 2025 Borrowing Target By 55.6%

Economy, FGN, News Flash

FG Exceeds 2025 Borrowing Target By 55.6% The Federal Government (FG) has borrowed N17.36 trillion from domestic and foreign sources in the first 10 months of this year. This represents N6.06 trillion (55.6 per cent) in excess of the N10.9 trillion stipulated in the 2025 Appropriation Act on 10 months prorate bases. The total borrowing in 2025 approved budget is N13.08 trillion for the entire fiscal year. The breakdown of the 2025 borrowings so far shows a N15.8 trillion from domestic sources as at October 2025 and N1.56 trillion from the external sources as at first half of 2025. Meanwhile,…

Nov

2025

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By Abia ThinkTank

Data-Driven Governance In Practice: Appraising Gov. Alex Otti’s Abia(2023-2025) Through Kassen’s Open- Data Lens – By Prof Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Abia State, Economy, Good Governance, Infrastructure

Data-Driven Governance in Practice: Appraising Gov. Alex Otti’s Abia (2023–2025) through Kassen’s Open-Data Lens Maxat Kassen’s Open Data Governance and Its Actors: Theory and Practice argues that credible reform happens when governments move beyond rhetoric to build “data value-chains”: publishing usable information, enabling intermediaries (media, civic tech, auditors) to interrogate it, and then translating that scrutiny into better policy. In this view, actors—not abstractions—do the work: executives who mandate disclosure, treasuries and CIOs who standardize formats, civil society that reuses data, and legislatures that codify norms. Judged against that framework, Abia State under Gov. Alex Otti shows many of the…

Nov

2025

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Dangote Refinery Slashes Ex-Depot Petrol Price

Economy, News Flash, Oil & Gas

Dangote Refinery Slashes Ex-depot Petrol Price The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has slashed its ex-gantry petrol price to N828 per litre. According to sources at the refinery, the price of the product was reduced by N49 from the prior price of N877 per litre. “The refinery reduced its petrol price to N828 per litre,” a source said. The development comes amid plans by the refinery to increase its output to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), a scale that would surpass the world’s largest 1.36 million bpd refinery in Jamnagar, India. On November 1, the Dangote refinery said the supply of…

Oct

2025

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Amid Debt Concerns, House Of Reps Approve Tinubu’s $2.35 Billion Loan Request

National Assembly, Economy, Presidency

Amid Debt Concerns, House Of Reps Approve Tinubu’s $2.35 Billion Loan Request The House of Representatives has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to secure a $2.35 billion loan to help finance the 2025 budget deficit, despite growing concerns over Nigeria’s rising debt profile. The House also granted approval for the issuance of a $500 million sovereign sukuk on the international capital market to support infrastructure development and broaden the country’s funding sources. The lawmakers reached the decision after reviewing the report of the Committee on Aids, Loans, and Debt Management. This development comes amid heightened debate regarding Nigeria’s escalating debt…

Oct

2025

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Re-Measuring Productivity In Abia: How Data, Digital Economy And Leadership Are Rewriting Our Growth Story – By Prof Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Abia State, Columns/Opinions/Letters, Economy, Good Governance

Re-Measuring Productivity in Abia: How Data, Digital Economy and Leadership Are Rewriting Our Growth Story Why I Embarked on the Table Research For too long, productivity discussions in Abia have focused only on roads, contracts, and budgets. But governance in the 21st century now lives where people work, learn, and trade — online.In Abia, thousands of young people, artisans, and traders already use WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok to sell goods, teach skills, and build livelihoods. Yet, traditional productivity models don’t measure these contributions. This gap inspired me to conduct a “table research” on the National Productivity & Digital Engagement Index,…

Oct

2025

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The Facts Behind Budgit 2025 Report And The Real Story Of Abia’s Rising Fiscal Performance- By Ebere Uzoukwa, Ph.D (SSA To Governor Otti On Public Affairs)

Abia State, Columns/Opinions/Letters, Economy, Good Governance

THE FACTS BEHIND BUDGIT 2025 REPORT AND THE REAL STORY OF ABIA’S RISING FISCAL PERFORMANCE By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD It is unfortunate, though not surprising, that those who once looted Abia’s treasury beyond recognition now find it difficult to come to terms with the new era of fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR. The recent BudgIT 2025 Report, which ranked Abia fourth in fiscal performance and among the five most viable states in Nigeria, is a clear validation of the far-reaching reforms and positive transformations introduced by the Otti administration.…

Oct

2025

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FGN Set To Expand Cash Transfer Beyond 15 Million Households

FGN, Economy, News Flash

FG Set To Expand Cash Transfer Beyond 15 Million Households The Federal Government has disclosed plans to expand its direct cash transfer programme to reach more beneficiaries at the grassroots level in a broader effort to cushion the impact of economic reforms in the country. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, made this known on Tuesday at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference and Book Launch in Abuja. While announcing plans to scale up the cash transfer programme to include more poor and vulnerable Nigerians, Edun revealed that the initiative currently benefits over 15…

Oct

2025

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CBN Finally Speaks On Alleged Allocations Of $1.3 Billion For Fuel Import

CBN/Commercial Banking, Economy, FGN

CBN Finally Speaks On Alleged Allocations Of $1.3 Billion For Fuel Import The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has refuted the report that it allocated $1.269 billion foreign exchange for the importation of petroleum products in the first quarter of the year. It said in a statement on Tuesday that the report was misleading and inaccurate. “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has noted some misreporting that falsely implies the Bank disbursed US$1.259 billion to major oil sector operators for the importation of refined petroleum products and related items. Such reporting is entirely inaccurate and misleading,” the statement said. The…

Oct

2025

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When Governance Must Meet Facts: Re-Examining The Allegations Against Abia Revenue System- By Prof Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Abia State, Economy, Good Governance

When Governance Must Meet Facts: Re-examining the Allegations Against Abia Revenue System In a recent opinion piece titled “ALEX OTTI ADMINISTRATION AND THE ROT IN ABIA REVENUE SYSTEM: WHEN GOVERNANCE BECOMES A TOOL FOR VENDETTA”, Writer Obinna Eze Oriaku accuses the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue of political victimisation and unprofessional conduct. Yet a careful review of the public record and recent reforms casts serious doubt on the assertions — and invites a more nuanced evaluation. Leadership Appointments and Reform Context The piece alleges hostility from the revenue board towards non-aligned taxpayers. Yet publicly available records show that in…